Archived Webcasts

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Many know Beard Bros for their outstanding coverage, information, and insights regarding the cannabis industry. But they actually started out first, in cannabis legacy products; and then pivoting to the legal cannabis industry. Beard Bros Bill and Jeff Levers have utilized their media platform to strengthen a product brand in multiple markets. Their approach has been to create consumer goodwill by imparting cannabis knowledge and expertise to become a trusted voice. Then, on the heels of Beard Bros credibility, they are on a mission to offer a range of products into multistate and multinational markets to extend that goodwill into the products they market. Bill and Jeff join Deep Roots to discuss how this approach has made their market expansion strategy more successful than what it may have been without the culture they have built, both internally as well as with consumers.

Our Guests: Bill and Jeff Levers, Co-Founders at Beard Bros. Pharms & Media

Originally hailing from Florida and Pennsylvania and now conveniently headquartered in Los Angeles and Sacramento, Beard Bros Pharms is a multinational cannabis brand, advocacy and consulting firm, and grassroots media magnate whose highly sought-after products, no-nonsense knowledge base, and hard-earned expertise are boosting bottom lines for their business partners worldwide. The company leverages their deep legacy cannabis experience at the intersection of the ever-evolving legal and regulated cannabis landscape via its co-founders and real brothers Bill and Jeff Levers to help their partners navigate the nuances of both established and emerging cannabis markets. Bill and Jeff of Beard Bros. Pharms have also earned a reputation as outspoken advocates of the cannabis plant, its many benefits, and of the culture at its roots.

They launched their own culture-based website in 2018 at www.beardbrospharms.com and corresponding weekly newsletter “The Friday Sesh”, as they are known and revered for the authenticity that accompanies their reporting on original news content, upcoming cannabis related events, brands to watch, and more. Beard Bros Pharms’ full spectrum of expertise in cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, operations, packaging, supply chain distribution, consulting, marketing, and media is unrivaled. In addition to 20-years of top shelf cannabis production, Beard Bros has operated in the legal cannabis market since 2011 (in the Prop 215/SB 420 medical market) and produced licensed recreational cannabis since 2018.

DeepRoots Host: Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

The uniqueness of each state’s cannabis regulations and structure makes it challenging to enter a new market with a single form factor. But what if your DNA resides in creating multiple innovative form factors and formulations that aren’t easily duplicated or, at times, even possible in new markets? These are challenges that Christine Smith, founder and CEO of Oregon-based Grön, has faced when expanding her edible brand into five states over the past few years. Christine joins Deep Roots to discuss how innovation crosses state lines and how success in one market does not always translate into a new market – where adaptations may be necessary.

Our Guest: Christine Smith, Founder and CEO of Grön (Pronounced Grewn)

Founded in 2015, Grön has become one of the largest and most recognized edible brands in the cannabis industry, with operations in their home state of Oregon, as well as Nevada, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma and Canada. Prior to founding Grön, Christine spent 20 years as an accomplished architect until her creative intuition  and culinary passion for confections presented an entirely new career path. What started as a hobby with one delicately nuanced dark chocolate bar, has led to the creation of multiple product lines available throughout the United States and Canada. With no outside investments, Christine was able to create several innovative purpose-driven product lines. Grön’s Sugar-Coated Pearls, Mega Pearls, Chocolate, and Candy-Coated Pips are formulated with cannabinoid ratios of THC, CBG, CBN, and CBD, giving millions of happy customers a perfect experience. Christine is a pioneer in the cannabis edible industry as one of the first producers to be entirely self funded, majority woman-owned majority woman-operated, and using all natural and Fair Trade Certified ingredients in the Grön product assortment. Today, Christine leads a growing team, who are expanding the reach of Grön and creating new products, packaging and initiatives that connect consumers to the purpose-driven and beautifully delicious brand she has created.

DeepRoots Host: Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

Many cannabis brands can be successful in their local market by embracing community and creating an authentic culture, but can that lifestyle brand export that goodwill and succeed in new markets? Timeless Vapes of Arizona spent years developing a lifestyle brand in their home market and have subsequently expanded into multiple markets with a profitable model that generates customer loyalty and corporate earnings. What does that playbook look like? Josh Hirschey, President of Timeless Refinery, joins Deep Roots to share how they have replicated their tried and true AZ lifestyle brand model in AZ in multiple new markets.

Our Guest: Josh Hirschey, President of Timeless Refinery

Josh Hirschey serves as President of Timeless Refinery, a leading cannabis house of brands with operations in Arizona, California, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Ohio. Timeless is focused on building high-quality lifestyle cannabis brands including Timeless, Timeless NOIR, and Timeless AZUL Vapes and Tumble by Timeless infused pre-rolls. Timeless connects with their consumers locally in each market they are in by engaging on the pillars of culture, community, and legacy.

Prior to leading Timeless, Josh was SVP/General Manager leading Amphenol Broadband Solutions (ABS), a division of Fortune 400 Amphenol Corporation. ABS is an industry-leading connectivity supplier with a global sales, distribution, and manufacturing footprint. During his 9 years running ABS he led the growth of the business both organically and through numerous acquisitions to over $400M in revenues.

Before joining Amphenol, Josh ran a private manufacturing company and was Vice President and Sr. Analyst at two boutique investment banking firms specializing in middle market buy and sell side M&A advisory, and capital and debt financing.

Josh has more than 18 years of experience in general management, business development, global manufacturing, and mergers and acquisitions. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and enjoys spending time with his wife and their two sons. Additionally, Josh enjoys traveling and is a fan of classic cars and sports.

DeepRoots Host: Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

The Cannabist Company, formerly known as Columbia Care, is reengaging with strategies that made its business model successful in the past, after the Cresco merger was terminated a few months ago. As a result, The Cannabist Company is revitalizing components of its corporate strategy that have remained essential to its DNA, including brand partnerships with Tyson 2.0 and expansion of its internal brands outside its walled garden. Come learn from Jesse Channon, chief commercial officer, about how these initiatives will be deployed, what it will mean for third party brands wanting shelf space and what to expect from The Cannabist Company wholesale strategy.

Our Guest: Jesse Channon, Chief Commercial Officer, The Cannabist Company

Jesse Channon is the Chief Commercial Officer of The Cannabist Company, formerly known as Columbia Care, overseeing Retail, Wholesale, Marketing and Technology Innovation. He joined the company in 2019 as Chief Growth Officer. Jesse is an accomplished leader with over a decade of experience in digital marketing, consumer targeting, grassroots campaigns and social media, having advised and worked with some of the largest brands and agencies in the world, including Microsoft, AT&T, Honda, Starbucks, NBC, Red Bull and more. A member of the founding team at PageLever, a Y Combinator-backed company, Jesse oversaw all revenue and partnerships, working with companies such as YouTube, Intel and Toyota to build one of the first real-time applications on Facebook’s API and earning certification in the first wave of Preferred Marketing Developers. In 2013, PageLever sold to Unified, a New York City-based Ad Tech company, where Jesse spent six years on the senior management team. After Unified, Jesse served as Chief Revenue Officer for Social Native, a custom content marketplace. He serves on the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board for the Harbert School of Business at Auburn University, the Marketing Board for UJA in New York City and mentors first-time founders of early-stage startups.

DeepRoots Host: Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

AYR Wellness Chief Commercial Officer, Jamie Mendola, joins Deep Roots to discuss how to go about partnering with MSOs as part of a brand’s expansion strategy. Jamie will share how AYR decides on what product formats are considered strong partner opportunities versus AYR’s in-house brands and what goes into the decision-making process of brand selection. AYR Wellness has always been focused on building their own brands and have acquired Levia, a leading beverage brand in Massachusetts. Learn from Jaime about how they consider the “buy-build-partner” approach in each market and what partner opportunities exist today with AYR.

Our Guest: Jamie Mendola, Chief Business Development Officer, AYR Wellness

Jamie Mendola is the Chief Business Development Officer and Head of National Wholesale and Purchasing for AYR Wellness, a publicly-traded cannabis multi-state operator (MSO). He was part of the founding management team that transformed AYR from a 2-state operator into the 6^th largest cannabis company in the United States. Jamie leads AYR’s strategic growth initiatives overseeing acquisitions, license applications, joint ventures, and brand partnerships. He also leads AYR’s wholesale and purchasing efforts nationally and is the General Manager of the West Coast Region. Jamie was also a co-founder of the Mercer Park Brand SPAC that completed a qualifying transaction with Glass House Group, a large vertical operator and brand platform in California, where he remains a board member.

DeepRoots Host: Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

CBE & DeepRoots thanks our June Webcast Sponsor.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

Entering new markets with a limited set of products is challenging. Doing so with a House of Brands strategy is even more difficult, particularly when the core offering is delivering quality flower at an affordable price. Rusty Wilenkin, Founder and CEO of Old Pal, joins Deep Roots to share his philosophy when entering new states including how to evaluate a new market to determine what products to launch based on market data and an expected consumer brand value proposition of shareable cannabis. Rusty has guided Old Pal to success in nine markets and has learned how to manage both a complicated regulatory framework and a complex supply chain to deliver product consistency to the delight of customers.

Our Guest:

Rusty Wilenkin, Co-founder + CEO of Old Pal

Co-Founder and CEO Rusty Wilenkin started Old Pal after beginning his career in media lending, then spending 4+ years in the cannabis space. The concept was born out of a white space that the team began to notice throughout the industry: there wasn’t a flower product out there that was both affordable and beautifully designed. During that period he co-founded Prism Farms, in addition to negotiating all seed funding and distribution channels for the company. Rusty then built out the SoCal region for Flow Kana, doubling their sales team in Southern California. He then mirrored that success at Kiva Sales and Service, where he ran their flower and concentrate sales. Rusty began pursuing Old Pal full time in May 2018, and it’s quickly become one of the fastest growing cannabis companies in California, in addition to expanding to 7 additional states as well.

DeepRoots Host:

Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots thanks our May Webcast Sponsor

About This Event:

Are you a cannabis business looking for ways to improve your return on investment? Learn from Paybotic co-founder and President Max Miller in this custom webcast.  We will discuss tips that can help you maximize your ROI and how to do business in the cannabis industry. Plus, learn about the employee retention credit (ERC) and how it can benefit your business. Don’t miss out – join us now!

Meet the Speaker: 

Max Miller, Co-Founder & President, Paybotic

As the Founder and President of Paybotic, Max is responsible for the ongoing strategic and economic growth of the company.

He is a graduate of Babson College where he earned a degree in Entrepreneurship. Max is a true entrepreneur whose global vision and passion for future-proof payment solutions has inspired him to build a company that provides the most advanced and secured payment systems to merchants. Technological innovation in the industry inspires Max to continually create and integrate the best and most appropriate payment solutions to keep clients on top of their game.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

Cannabis brands are aggressively expanding and facing the daunting challenge of building their brands in each new market. Bethany Gomez, Managing Director of the Brightfield Group, joins Deep Roots to discuss how data and research are helping brands connect and resonate with consumers. Bethany and host Erik Ott will discuss best practices in consumer brand building, including topics like:

• Do traditional CPG strategies work in Cannabis or are other approaches more effective in reaching consumers?
• Can a brand be created from scratch?
• How do consumers feel towards MSO brands vs legacy brands?
• What are tactical strategies that you can develop that show results without a massive investment?
• What are the pros and cons of working with influencers?

And… are “Soccer Moms” really a category?

April Guest:

Bethany Gomez, Managing Director of the Brightfield Group

Bethany has established herself as a trailblazer in emerging markets, with a focus on cannabis, CBD and wellness. As Managing Director and Co-Founder of Brightfield Group, Bethany’s commitment to leadership and storytelling through meaningful data has positioned the company as an industry leader, playing a crucial role in shaping the cannabis, CBD and wellness industries both from a consumer and market perspective. Bethany has been featured and quoted in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance and more.

DeepRoots Host:

Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots thanks our April Webcast Sponsor

About This Event:

The profile and quality of your biomass is a key determining factor when selecting the best method of processing. While many pit solvent-based extraction methods against solventless ones, the best returns ultimately come down to the input material.

Both solventless and hydrocarbon extraction have their pros and cons and different inputs will result in vastly different products, yields, market value, and ROI. In this webinar, Brady Oldham, Senior Account Manager at Agrify, and Bo Johnson, Director of Business Development at Agrify, detail the options available, from solventless to hydrocarbon to distillation, and versatility is key to utilizing your biomass and putting it to work.

Meet the Speakers:

Bo Johnson, Director of Business Development at Precision by Agrify, is a seasoned professional in solvent-based extractions. With over a decade of hands-on experience managing all aspects of team and product development, Bo has a unique ability to help clients work through every stage of their project, from conceptualization to design, product development, equipment sizing, team development, compliance, and more.

Starting out as a patient seeking better extracts, Bo joined RiverRock Wellness in Denver in 2010, where he led the development of RockBudder, a high potency, high terpene content powder. Bo was an early adopter of vacuum purge technology and was instrumental in introducing the first large-scale production of CBD and CBN-rich oils to the market and creating the Priva Pill line.

Throughout his career, Bo has worked on projects in both existing and emerging markets, always focusing on patients, and driving better regulations. With almost two years at Precision Extraction and now, Precision Extraction by Agrify, Bo has a solid understanding of what every department needs and how to apply that success to best support clients. With the ability to view a project from multiple perspectives, including that of the owner, lab manager, daily operator, and end-user, Bo is always striving to make processes safer and, in the end, produce a higher-quality product.

Brady Oldham, Senior Account Executive at PurePressure by Agrify, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the industry of solventless extraction. With over six years in the field, Brady has established himself as a leading expert in hash making and is highly respected for his knowledge and skills in the industry.

Brady’s journey began at PurePressure, where he started as an intern and quickly developed a passion for solventless extraction. His hard work and dedication paid off, as he became the top seller of solventless equipment in the world and played a crucial role in Pure Pressure’s success. With his extensive experience in facility design, product development, and equipment selection, Brady has been a part of numerous successful solventless lab builds.

Brady’s passion for the industry and invaluable insight makes him an expert in all aspects of solventless extraction and he is committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others in the industry.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

Cannabis brands are expanding into new markets and positioning to become CPG leaders. Many brands are looking to outside investors to support their expansion plans. But what matters most to investors who fund brand expansion? Deep Roots takes a deep dive into the viewpoint of one of the leading Cannabis investment managers, Patrick Rae, Managing Director at Poseidon Asset Management, on what are the critical success factors for new market expansion. Poseidon has been investing in Cannabis since 2014 and has a number of companies in the portfolio that have expanded into new markets. Patrick will share what he believes are best “financing” practices for new market expansion.

March Guest:

Patrick Rea, Managing Director of Poseidon Garden Ventures

Patrick Rea is the Managing Director of Poseidon Garden Ventures, a pre-Series A investment fund focused on cannabis technology companies and licensed operators. He has led investments in over 100 cannabis companies. Prior to Poseidon, Patrick founded CanopyBoulder and was CEO for over 6 years.

Before joining the cannabis industry in 2013, Patrick spent 15 years in the natural products industry as a banker, consultant, investor, and operator. Patrick was a Division I soccer player at Brown University and graduated with a double major in Geology and Organizational Behavior and Management.

DeepRoots Host:

Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots thanks our March Webcast Sponsor

About This Event:

Join Accountabis to gain a better understanding of the various accounting considerations applicable to cannabis businesses and ERC as well as how to use this credit to its fullest potential. During this webcast, you will learn the answers to these and other questions…

·      Does your business qualify?
·      What is the per employee credit?
·      How do you apply for the ERC Program?
·      What are the IRS implications & compliance requirements for ERC filers?

…as well as how to use this credit to its fullest potential.

 Meet the Speakers:

Michelle Escalera, Cannabis Accountant at Accountabis Advisors has a unique skill set and a passion to assist businesses with their financial well-being while providing quality accounting services. Her dedication to assisting businesses stems from more than nine years of experience in corporate accounting, however, it goes much deeper than that. When her son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), she found an added motivation to make an impact on the quality of life of those in the Cannabis industry. Michelle’s ability to provide business optimization services combined with her understanding of cannabis startups makes her the ideal financial professional if you’re looking for someone to help your business to the next level.

Rus Kerr, an account executive is an invaluable asset to Accountabis Advisors and plays a crucial role in the company’s success. His responsibilities include sales activities related to bookkeeping/accounting in the cannabis industry, as well as managing the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program. Rus creates lead generation by developing and executing strategies that meet both his own and the company’s goals while working with internal support teams to ensure customer satisfaction. He does all of this to ensure the longevity of relationships with external contacts and internal departments, resulting in a more consistent customer experience. Rus is responsible for laying a solid foundation for Accountabis Advisors in the future due to his exceptional sales acumen and dedication.

DeepRoots is a free, monthly, webcast series featuring some of the foremost operators and brands in the Cannabis Industry. This collaborative venture between CBE & Ott Growth Advisors provides best practices and strategic insights for cannabis brands and operators to position their businesses for market expansion and growth.

About This Event:

With the capital market locked up, many license holders in emerging markets are having trouble finding the capital to launch. Given the lack of funding options, some license holders are turning to M&A to sell a control stake in their business to well-capitalized strategic partners. As we enter 2023 there will be more distressed asset opportunities in large markets that can be acquired by well-funded operators. Erin Gore, CEO of The Garden Society, has raised sufficient capital and leveraged an M&A strategy to enter multiple markets by acquiring a control stake in multiple markets. Erin joins Deep Roots to share how she has balanced fundraising with market expansion to optimize the opportunity to scale The Garden Society.

Meet The Speaker:

Erin Gore, Founder and CEO, Garden Society

Erin Gore is founder and CEO of Garden Society, a California-based, cannabis-focused benefit corporation serving women in search of new, more holistic ways to rejuvenate from the rigors of their daily lives. Garden Society offers high quality, low dose artisanal confections and sun-grown pre-rolls that connect biodynamic farming, sustainable ingredients, and strain-specific cannabis.

An active member of the Northern California cannabis community, Erin frequently speaks on topics of cannabis and entrepreneurship. She’s a fearless advocate for women-owned cannabis businesses, and equally dedicated to breaking the stigma around the plant. Earning a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Erin is also fluent in the science-based language of cannabis and production.

Prior to Garden Society, Erin worked with her husband on their joint venture with Constellation Brands (Tom Gore Vineyards), and had a decade-long corporate career at Henkel, where she managed a global business valued at $100 million.

Currently, she serves on the Board of the Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, Healdsburg District Hospital Board of Directors, and International Cannabis.

Your Host:

Erik Ott, Founder, Ott Growth Advisors

Erik Ott is the founder of Ott Growth Advisors (OTA), a boutique investment bank specializing in Corporate Development and M&A. Ott serves on the Board of Directors of BGP Acquisitions Corp, a $115m cannabis SPAC trading on the NEO exchange. Before OTA, Ott was a founding partner at KO Acquisitions, Inc. and investment bank specializing in M&A in the State of California.

DeepRoots is Sponsored by: